Professor Hong Uy, great friend of farmers

The year 2000 was considered as a year of success for Professor, Doctor Tran Hong Uy who produced a number of hybridised maize varieties for the agricultural sector of Vietnam.

Professor Uy was presented with the title 'Labour Hero' and Ho Chi Minh Prize by the State in the year 2000. The honour marks his great contribution in developing quality maize varieties that could withstand weather and soil conditions in Vietnam.

Born in 1938 in Yen Dung, Bac Giang province, he graduated from the Hanoi Agriculture College I in 1961 and started working for the agricultural sector of Ha Bac province (now Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces). Eleven years later, he successfully defended the thesis 'Genetics in creating new maize varieties' for his master degree in Romania in 1972 and doctorate in Bulgaria in 1985 under the thesis 'Research on genetics in creating maize varieties and application to maize production in Vietnam.' He continued research on maize development after returning to Vietnam. His project 'Research on creating hybridised maize varieties in Vietnam' was granted the Ho Chi Minh Prize, recognising his years of trying to create quality maize varieties for the soil in Vietnam. The project included the activities of using the advantages of imported maize varieties to combine with local varieties to create new high quality varieties, collecting sources to create varieties with local and foreign origins and setting up a gene fund of tropical maize and applying pollen growing technique in the field to create the first generation for mass production.

From one variety, the scientist directly created five non-conventional hybrid varieties and three conventional varieties, including five other hybrid varieties.

He helped transfer the production technology and establish the growing processing network in some localities, thus ensuring the source supply of seeds. Land Under quality hybrid maize was expanded from five hectares in 1990 to 450,000 hectares in 1999. These short-time varieties have contributed to reduce the fallow land in winter and spring crops in mountainous areas.

The price of the hybrid maize varieties produced in Vietnam is about 60% compared to those imported or provided by BIOSEED and CP joint ventures.

Professor Hong Uy's research has contributed to reducing the price of maize seeds for farmers.

By LINH NAM